麻豆社区

In the shadow of the healing totem pole on the banks of the Yukon River, Clara Hughes shared her message of hope with a supportive crowd yesterday in Whitehorse.

Hughes and the group used chalk to inscribe messages into the asphalt along the Millennium Trail before the former Olympian took the microphone.

"I can't believe how many people came out in the rain,鈥� an enthusiastic Hughes told the group of supporters.

She said the support she has received across the country has shown her how much Canadians care for her cause.

"They want the silence to end,鈥� she said of the stigma regarding mental illness. "But most people just don't know what to do.鈥�

Wearing a brown Yukon tuque, Hughes told the crowd that when it comes to mental health, action and the sharing of the struggle is key.

"You have a voice to use,鈥� she said. "Every single person can make a difference for someone else. Sometimes it's just a matter of slowing things down and listening.鈥�

Creating or getting behind mental health initiatives, and even voting for the politician best promoting mental health awareness, are also ways to help end the stigma, she explained.

The 41-year-old said in a society that operates at a frenetic pace, things as simple as human decency are sometimes forgotten.

Hughes' Northern journeys have helped her travelling group slow down and make a reconnection to the land, she said.

"The connection with the land and the animals is something that you really feel when you're on a bike and your support vehicle is way far back,鈥� she said. "You're riding and it's about 7 p.m. somewhere on the Dempster and you see a grizzly bear looking up at you from about 30 feet away.

"We definitely had a really fun moment with Mr. Grizz.鈥�

Hughes, the owner of six medals from the summer and winter Olympics, spent her day discussing mental health in the Yukon capital.

Her time on the wharf was bookended by an assembly at Vanier Catholic Secondary School and a visit to the Jackson Lake Healing Centre.

A second meeting with the public occurred during the supper hours at Mount McIntyre Recreation Centre, where a barbecue and musical concert was staged.

Performers included Gordie Tentrees, Kevin Barr, Krush Groove breakdancers, Saharan Siren, Nicole Edwards and Kim Rogers.

Today, Hughes continued her path across the country, flying south to Victoria, B.C., where she will begin cycling east to Ottawa.

Hughes' stop in Whitehorse was one in a series of planned ventures into Canadian communities during her Big Ride 鈥� a trip that will take nearly four months and total 12,000 kms across the country.

Hughes said the conversation on mental health has varied in communities where she has stopped.

"It means something different everywhere, just like mental illness is something different for every single person that struggles,鈥� she said.